Henrico to dedicate Fire Station 3 on Sept. 15

(From left) Doug Reynolds, Gerry Alley, Chris Craft, and Chris Long at the new station

Henrico County will dedicate the new Fire Station 3 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and picnic Saturday, Sept. 15 at the station, 1310 E. Washington St., near North Airport Drive.

The event, which is open to the public, will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature remarks by county officials, station tours, free hot dogs, barbecue and other food, plus children’s activities, including an inflatable bounce house and the Division of Fire’s Kid’s Safety House.

The 11,160-square-foot fire station opened in July, replacing a 2,790-square-foot station about one mile away that was built in 1956. The new station features a three-bay, drive-through garage to accommodate an engine company, brush truck, ambulance and fire marshal’s van. Built to withstand hurricane-force winds, the station is designated to serve as an area command center for eastern Henrico. The facility also houses the Battalion 2 chiefs, who oversee six fire stations in eastern Henrico. As with all new county stations, an emergency generator can power the station for three days before refueling.

Henrico voters approved funding in the 2005 bond referendum for the $4.5 million project. The station was developed under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, program standards. Henrico is pursuing LEED Silver certification for the facility.

The fire station provides 21 personnel with improved living quarters, a large kitchen area and dayroom, office space and an exercise room. The facility also features a repair shop for the maintenance and upkeep of the county’s medical stretchers.

The 10th Annual Filipino Festival will be held Aug. 7-8 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 8200 Woodman Rd., beginning with opening ceremonies at 5 p.m. Friday and continuing with live entertainment, food and exhibits until 10 p.m. On Saturday the festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a full schedule of performances featuring traditional Filipino dance, music and song.

Filipino cuisine, including BBQ, pansit, lumpia, adobo, halo-halo, lechon, empanada and leche flan, will be available for purchase. The festival will also feature a children's area, church tours, exhibits, and health screenings. > Read more.

The Children’s Museum of Richmond last week opened its new Short Pump location at Short Pump Town Center, to the delight of children who attended a sneak preview of the location July 10. The new facility, located under the forthcoming LL Bean store (formerly the food court) is 8,500 square feet in size – much larger than CMoR’s former Short Pump location at West Broad Village, which opened in 2010. The new space includes The CarMax Foundation Service Station, the Silver Diner, a grocery store, a performance stage and an art studio, as well as a giant Light Bright Wall. > Read more.

The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Henrico Police are both presenting community events tomorrow, Aug. 1. The Feria Community Resource Fair at Richmond International Raceway brings together community service providers, embassies/consulates from Latin American countries, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and corporations that impact the Latino community. The Division of Police’s Community Day will feature demonstrations and displays from police, fire, animal protection and sheriff’s office, as well as family activities, food, entertainment and more. Other events this weekend include wine, chess and theatre! For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.